Device and Method for Securing Rolled Paper Media

ABSTRACT

Opposing clamp members that are hingedly connected and biased toward a closed position. Each opposing clamp member includes a clamp arm having an inner surface, wherein the combination of the inner surfaces are extendable around more than one-half of the circumference of an unused standard paper media roll. Such a device, when placed about a paper media roll, secures the paper on the roll and prevents the roll from being unwound. In particular embodiments, the length of at least one clamp arm is greater than the clamp arm&#39;s width.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/772,629, filed on Feb. 4, 2004, which is incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the present invention is devices and methods for securingrolled paper media.

2. Background

Rolled paper media finds many uses throughout the home, among otherplaces. Some of the most common forms of rolled paper media found in thehome are toilet paper and paper towels. Both types of paper products aregenerally sold in the roll format because of its convenience forpackaging, storage, and use.

The variation in the size and form of toilet paper products sold forresidential use is limited. For example, such toilet paper products aretypically manufactured with 1- or 2-plies of tissue paper which isdivided by perforations into sheets measuring approximately 4.5″ wide by4.4″-4.5″ long. Rolls of toilet paper typically include at least 200 ofthese sheets wrapped around a core having a diameter of approximately1.5″ or more. As sold and unused, the smallest roll of toilet papertherefore typically has a diameter of at least 3″, a width ofapproximately 4.5″, and includes more than 880 linear inches of paperproduct wrapped about the core. Toilet paper products sold forcommercial use tend to be larger and may have different form factors toaccommodate the greater variety found in commercial dispensers.

The variation in the size and form of paper towel products sold forresidential use is also limited. For example, such paper towel productsare typically manufactured with 1- or 2-plies of paper which is dividedby perforations into sheets measuring approximately 11″ wide by 7″-11″long, all wrapped around a core having a diameter of approximately 1.5″or more. Typically, rolls having longer sheets have fewer total sheetsand rolls having shorter sheets have a greater number of total sheets.The typical roll having 11″ long sheets may have as few as 60 totalsheets, whereas the typical roll having 7″ long sheets may have 100 ormore sheets. As sold and unused, the smallest paper towel roll thereforetypically has a diameter of at least 4.5″, a width of approximately 11″,and includes more than 660″ linear inches of paper product wrapped aboutthe core. As with toilet paper products, paper towel products sold forcommercial use may have different form factors to accommodate thegreater variety found in commercial dispensers.

For both toilet paper products and paper towel products, dispensers inthe home tend to include a rod which is inserted through the core of theroll and affixed to a supporting structure. Such simple dispensers donot include any mechanism for securing the paper product on the roll toprevent dispensation. For example, children or pets often play withtoilet paper by unwinding the paper as it sits on the dispenser, therebywasting the paper. As another example, paper products kept on dispensersin motor homes are subject to vibrations which occur when the vehicle isin motion. Such vibrations can cause the paper to unwind from the roll,also wasting the paper.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed towards a device and method forsecuring rolled paper media. The device comprises opposing clamp memberswhich are hingedly joined and biased toward a closed position. Eachopposing clamp member includes a curved inner surface, and thecombination of the two inner surfaces is extendable around more thanone-half an unused standard paper media roll. Each curved inner surfacemay be arcuate. Each opposing clamp member may include one or morefingers, and the fingers of one clamp member may be positioned tointerdigitate with the fingers of the opposing clamp member when theclamp members are in the closed position. Each clamp member may alsoinclude a handle, the handles being used to leverage the opposing clampmembers into the open position.

The method comprises hingedly biasing a first curved surface toward asecond curved surface, then placing a paper media roll between the twocurved surfaces. Optionally, the curved surfaces may be arcuate surfacesand have a radius that is at least as large as the radius of an unusedstandard paper media roll. The curved surfaces may each include one ormore fingers, and the fingers of one curved surface may be positioned tointerdigitate with the fingers of the other curved surface when thecurved surfaces are in the closed position.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved device and method for securing rolled paper media. Otherobjects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to similarcomponents:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a device for securing rolled paper media asshown in place about a paper media roll;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device as seen from the left side of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the device as seen from the right side of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a device for securing rolled paper media asshown in place about the empty core of a paper media roll; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the device as seen from the left side of FIG.4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a clamping device10 secured to an unused standard paper media roll 12. The paper media 14is wound about a core 16. The outer radius of the core, r, for toiletpaper and paper towel rolls is typically 1.5″ or more. The outer radiusof the paper media roll, R, may vary, but is characterizable as havingat least a minimum dimension based upon standards established throughcontinued use in the industry of toilet paper and paper towel products.For toilet paper, the smallest dimensioned rolls are the 1-ply rolls.Typically, the smallest of the 1-ply rolls includes no less than 200sheets to the roll, the sheets being separated by perforations and eachsheet being at least 4.4″ in length. The smallest of such 1-ply toiletpaper rolls, when new and unused, has an outer radius, R, of at least3″. For paper towels, the smallest dimensioned rolls generally includeabout 90 1-ply sheets or 60 2-ply sheets, the sheets being separated byperforations and each sheet being approximately 9″ or more in length.The smallest of such paper towel rolls, when new and unused, has anouter radius, R, of at least 4.5″.

The device 10 comprises two opposing clamp members 20, 22. The clampmembers 20, 22 each include a handle 24, 26 and a clamp arm 28, 30. Eachclamp arm 28, 30 may include one or more fingers (not shown in FIG. 1)and has an inner arcuate surface 32, 34. The inner arcuate surfaces 32,34 are defined by a radius that is at least as large as the outerradius, R, of the media roll 12. Further, each inner arcuate surface 32,34 is smooth to prevent tearing damage to the paper media when thedevice 10 is secured to or removed from the media roll 12. The clamparms 28, 30 extend less than halfway around the media roll 12. The innerarcuate surfaces 32, 34 therefore have an arc length of less than 180°.

Each handle 24, 26 includes a set of connecting arms 36, 38 (only oneconnecting arm of each set is visible in FIG. 1). The connecting arms36, 38 of each handle 24, 26 extend toward the opposite handle and areconnected to a hinge pin 40. A hinge spring (shown in FIG. 3) is woundabout the hinge 40 pin and employed to bias the clamp members 20, 22toward the closed position so that the media roll 12 may be securedtherebetween. With the handles thusly connected, pressure may be appliedto each handle 24, 26 to leverage the clamp members 20, 22 into the openposition and place or remove the device 10 from a paper media roll.

FIG. 2 shows the two fingers 42 of the upper clamp arm 28 and the singlefinger 44 of the bottom clamp arm 30. The upper fingers 42 are spacedapart by a distance that is greater than the width of the bottom finger44. This spacing allows the upper and bottom fingers to interdigitate asshown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in which the clamp is shown secured to the core16 of an exhausted media roll. Depending upon the radius of the innerarcuate surfaces and the radius of the media roll about which the deviceis secured, the fingers may interdigitate when the device is securedabout non-exhausted media rolls. In other embodiments, the fingers arenon-interdigitating even when secured around the core of an exhaustedmedia roll, or in the absence of a media roll.

FIG. 3 shows the hinge spring 46 wound about the hinge 40. The hingespring includes two spring arms 48, 50. The first spring arm 48 bearsagainst the upper handle 24, and the second spring arm 50 bears againstthe bottom handle 26. The spring arms 48, 50 apply pressure against eachrespective handle 24, 26 to bias the clamp members 20, 22 toward theclosed position.

In particular embodiments, the length of a clamp arm is greater than theclamp arm's width. The length is determined along the inner arcuatesurface of the clamp arm in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal rotational axis of a secured media roll. In FIG. 1, forexample, the length of the upper clamp arm can be determined along theinner arcuate surface 32 from right to left in the plane of the paper.For clamp arms that comprise one or more fingers, the length of theclamp arm is the length of the largest finger measured along the innerarcuate surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinalrotational axis of a secured media roll.

The width of a clamp arm that includes more than one finger isdetermined by the distance from the outermost surface of the outermostfinger at one side of the clamp arm to the outermost surface of theoutermost finger at the other side of the clamp arm, in a direction thatis parallel to the longitudinal rotational axis of a secured media roll.For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the width w of the upperclamp arm 28 is defined relative to the outermost surfaces of the upperclamp arm's two fingers. If a clamp arm includes only one finger, thewidth of the clamp arm is equal to the width of the finger. The nominalvalue for the width of a finger whose width varies along the length ofthe finger can be considered equal to the largest width along the lengthof the finger.

In certain embodiments, at least one clamp arm has a length greater thanits width. Preferably, each opposing clamp arm has a length that isgreater than the clamp arm's width. In preferred embodiments, thelengths of opposing clamp arms are substantially the same. In someembodiments, the length and/or width of a clamp arm varies throughoutthe clamp arm. In these cases, the value for the length is the largestlength along the clamp arm, and the value for the width is the largestwidth along the clamp arm.

The arrangement of fingers on the upper and lower clamp arms can bedescribed as 2+1, where 2 is the number of upper fingers and 1 is thenumber of lower fingers. In preferred embodiments, the total number offingers is greater than 2 but less than or equal to ten. Thus, preferredarrangements for the fingers are 2+1, 2+2, 3+2 3+3, 4+3, 4+4, 5+4, or5+5.

Preferably, the device can dispense unused standard paper media rollshaving diameters of about 3″, 3.5″, 4″, 4.5″, 5″, 5.5″, 6″, 6.5″, 7″,7.5″ 8″, 8.5″, or 9″.

Thus, a device for securing a paper media roll is disclosed. Whileembodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications arepossible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. Theinvention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit ofthe following claims.

1. A device for securing a paper media roll comprising: opposing clampmembers hingedly connected and biased toward a close position, whereineach opposing clamp member comprises a clamp arm having a length and awidth, the clamp arm including a curved inner surface, and thecombination of the curved inner surfaces of the clamp members beingextendable around more than one-half of an unused standard paper mediaroll, and wherein the length of at least one clamp arm is greater thanits width.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the opposing clamp memberseach include one or more fingers which form at least part of the curvedinner surfaces, respectively.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein thefingers of the opposing clamp members interdigitate when the opposingclamp members are in the closed position.
 4. The device of claim 1,wherein the opposing clamp members each include a handle, the handlesbeing adapted to leverage the opposing clamp members into an openposition.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein each curved inner surface issmooth.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein each curved inner surfacecomprises an arcuate surface.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein eacharcuate surface has an arc length of less than 180°.
 8. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the unused standard paper media roll is selected fromthe group of toilet paper roll and paper towel roll.
 9. A device forsecuring a paper media roll comprising: opposing clamp members hingedlyconnected and biased toward a closed position, each opposing clampmember comprising a clamp arm and a handle, the clamp arm having alength and a width and comprising one or more fingers, wherein thefingers of the opposing clamp members define inner arcuate surfaces,each inner arcuate surface having a radius at least as large as an outerradius of an unused toilet paper roll or paper towel roll, and thehandles of the opposing clamp members are adapted to leverage theopposing clamp members into an open position, and wherein the length ofat least one clamp arm is greater than its width.
 10. The device ofclaim 9, wherein the fingers of the opposing clamp members interdigitatewhen the opposing clamp members are in the closed position.
 11. Thedevice of claim 9, wherein each inner arcuate surface is smooth.
 12. Thedevice of claim 9, wherein each inner arcuate surface has an arc lengthof less than 180°.
 13. A method of securing a paper media rollcomprising: hingedly biasing a first curved surface toward a secondcurved surface, at least one curved surface having a length that isgreater than its width; and placing a paper media roll between first andsecond curved surfaces.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the firstand second surfaces are each defined by one or more fingers.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the fingers of the first and second surfacesinterdigitate when the first and second surfaces are in a closedposition.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and secondsurfaces are smooth.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein each curvedsurface comprises an arcuate surface.
 18. The method of claim 17,wherein each arcuate surface has an arc length of less than 180°. 19.The method of claim 19, wherein each arcuate surface has a radius atleast as large as an outer radius of an unused standard paper mediaroll.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the unused standard papermedia roll is selected from the group of toilet paper roll and papertowel roll.
 21. A method of securing a paper media roll comprising:hingedly biasing a first arcuate surface toward a second arcuatesurface, wherein each arcuate surface has a length that is greater thanits width and is defined by one or more fingers, each arcuate surfacehaving a radius at least as large as an outer radius of an unused toiletpaper roll or paper towel roll; and placing a toilet paper roll or apaper towel roll between the first and second arcuate surfaces.
 22. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the fingers of the first and second arcuatesurfaces interdigitate when the first and second arcuate surfaces are ina closed position.
 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the first andsecond arcuate surfaces are smooth.
 24. The method of claim 21, whereineach arcuate surface has an arc length of less than 180°.